Fire's Child
by Shadowsister
Summary: Go the Dozen! pose Chappie 12 is up, is good, is done, done, done! I am so proud of myself. I swear, if the editing thing ruined it... I will kill...
1. The Search

**Fire's Child**

**Chapter 1- The Search **

* * *

Jay was home, but it didn't look like home. It didn't look like anything. She hadn't been here in 3 years. Now it was gone, all traces of it ever being there were gone. All that remained was a memory of it being there. It wasn't what she was expecting. She didn't know what she was expecting.  
  
About 3 years ago Jay was taken away by the Baron's Guards. Taken away from her home and her brother.  
  
This was terrible. How could she lose him? She was supposed to protect him. She swore it! And now he was gone. Their house was a wreck. Everything was gone. But that was the least of her worries.  
  
He was only 2 when she was taken away; he could barely eat breakfast without hurting himself in one way or another. What really scared her was what other people would do to him. There had been recent rumours of the Baron injecting someone with Dark Eco, to create a 'warrior'. Something all too familiar to Jay.  
  
Jay remembered her two and a bit years in the Baron's prison. She saw things she didn't want to see. Tests, all these horrible tests. They were just that, horrible.  
  
The screams of fellow prisoners still echoed in her head and haunted her dreams. And death. She lost count of how many innocent men and women died during their ordeal. There was even suicide.  
  
She could feel the anger burning inside.  
  
_'OK, calm down,'_ she thought.  
  
She then noticed she was being stared at by all the people in the street at the time.  
  
_'Mental note: do NOT draw attention to your self'_  
  
Jay sighed. She felt so alone. She had spent her entire life looking after herself and her young brother. Though she loved him more that life itself she always wanted someone who would take care of her. But that was the least of her worries. 

How the hell was she supposed to find her brother, who was about 5 or 6 os something, in a place like haven city. She hardly thought he would be where she left him. He was smart. He would have looked for someone to take care of him. Well now she could take care of him, but first she needed to find him.  
  
_'I need more eyes!'_  
  
She obviously didn't expect to grow an extra set eyes, she wasn't that stupid. She would use other peoples'. And she knew just the person to help her out.  
  
Sig.  
  
Jay meet Sig a year back while the circus camp she now worked for was attacked by MetalHeads. It had been in broard daylight and it seemed planed, as if it were all thought out. Not very well, though. By chance, Sig was there to help them out, no casualties, blah blah.  
  
Yeah, Sig would help her out for sure...  
  
_'Beside, he owes me for saving Poopsy Bear.'_ She thought with a laugh. _'Poopsy Bear.'_  
  
But it would have to wait. She was supposed to be at the big top ages ago. After being banished for god knows what reason, Jay joined a travelling circus. They were a big hit. Their skills were legendary. Unlike most travelling circuses, Lunari Circus performed only at night and had no animal acts. It could not be afforded.  
  
Jay had another idea.  
  
She would give Sig a backstage pass to the circus tonight. _'Brilliant!!!'_  
  
She paused at a thought.  
  
In the passed 3 years her life was full of action and adventure. First she was imprisoned for 2 and a bit years. Then she got cast out, but managed to get a job with a travelling circus. And for the past 4 or 5 months she lived with the circus.  
  
She shook the thought out of her mind. It was not one of her happier memories.  
  
_'What's done is done. It's not like I can do anything about it now.'_  
  
She ran her fingers through her braided hair. It looked so different from how she remembered. The bright red with blond tips were so foreign. It's funny how she never really noticed.  
  
_'How the HELL did it turn RED?!?'_  
  
And with that she ran off.

* * *

"Sure, why not" Sig accepted Jay's invitation, but for some reason he felt this was not just a friendly gesture. She wanted something in return. But just how far was she willing to go to get it?  
  
"But what about my friends?" he asked  
  
"I'm sorry. What?"  
  
She was definitely shocked and made no attempt to hide it.  
  
"Don't my friends get an invite?"  
  
"How many, exactly?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.  
  
Sig began counting. Jak and Daxter for sure. Jak wouldn't come without Keira, and Keira wouldn't come without her father. Tess would have to come. So would Torn and Ashlin.  
  
"Seven."  
  
"Sure, whatever," Jay was speaking very fast "Here are eight tickets. At the end, just go 'round back. If anyone gives you any trouble tell them to talk to me"  
  
"Ok"  
  
"It starts at 8. What time is it now?"  
  
"Half past seven."  
  
"What!?! Sig I have to go." She said apologetically. "It's near the race track." She called back as she was running for her life.  
  
That was that. Sig never really wanted to take the others, but now he had no choice.  
  
He got into his hover car and drove to the Naughty Ottsle.  
  
On the bright side he knew Jay was alive and healthy. But she did seem different. She was always different from others, but this was strange, even for her.  
  
_'She's worried about something that she can't control.'_  
  
Jay liked to be in control of a situation, as far as Sig knew. She was just so different from how he remembered her.  
  
He pondered on this.  
  
Something was definitely different about Jay. But what exactly was it?  
  
This was driving Sig crazy. He would have to ask her after the show.

* * *

When Sig arrived at the Naughty Ottsle he was greeted by a roar by a group of random drunks.  
  
He went straight to far end of the bar, where the gang usually hung out. And, as usual, they were all there.  
  
"Hey," Sig said, "how'd you all like to come to the circus with me? My treat."  
  
They all gawped at him.  
  
"And how exactly did you get 8 TICKETS!?!?!" roared Torn.  
  
"I didn't steal them if that's what you're implying."  
  
"Then how?"  
  
"I met a friend."  
  
Torn just stared at him.  
  
"She didn't steal them either."  
  
Torn was still not convinced.  
  
"And how do you know this?" he asked harshly  
  
"She works at the circus." Sig replied just as harshly.  
  
Well that shut Torn up.  
  
"So you guys comin'?"  
  
"Oh yeah, it's our change to mingle with highly-flexible ladies." That comment was from the one and only Daxter. Everyone else muttered in agreement.  
  
"Well, let's go then."  
  
"What, now?!" that was Jak. It was obvious he didn't want to go. He didn't want to go anywhere.  
  
"Come on, Jak. It'll be fun." urged Keira.  
  
Daxter didn't even wait for a reply. "Then let's go already!" and he ran outside. I think it's safe to say that Jak didn't have a choice.  
  
He didn't know why he didn't want to go. He had always been socially challenged, but this was a circus and he didn't have to interact with anyone. And just who was this friend of Sig's? He never met her, he never even heard about her.  
  
Oh well, he would know soon enough, but something was telling him he would find out something no one knew. It would shock them.

* * *

**I always seem to loose my lip-gloss. That wouldn't be such a problem if I didn't have chronic-dry-lip syndrome. Furthermore, I can never seem to find thing when I need them. Like I lost my guitar picks and I needed them to practise power cords, then I went on to hammer-ons, and THEN I found my picks! Not to mention all the other things I lose. But there are always the 'special' things that never get lost...**

**Luck and Love,**

**Anita**


	2. Swords and Flame

**Fire's Child**

**Chapter 2- Swords and Flame**

* * *

Jak was surprised at how many people turned up. It was like one of the class 1 NYFE races. The entire stadium area was swarming with people.

"Whoa!" exclaimed Daxter.

There was no other way to describe it. It was amazing! The large tent rose high above the sky. Lively music played. People in vivid costumes pranced around, entertaining passers by with acrobatics and comedy acts.

_Maybe this will be fun._ He thought.

He saw a young woman in a red and yellow costume talking to a young girl. The woman pointed to them and the girl rushed over.

"Good evening, and welcome to the Wasted Circus, the circus where all the staff are completely wasted. Would you like a programme?"

The girl was so sweet, and she said her lines so casually, as if it actually were the 'Wasted Circus'. The woman snorted at the 'wasted' comment, shaking her head.

"Aw, how sweet." commented Keira

"Look, toots, they pay me by how many pamphlets I give out, so take the fucking programme!"

At this the woman just burst out laughing, but every one else was shocked, particularly at the swearing. They each took a programme and watched as the girl toddled off back to the woman, who picked her up and carried her into the tent, still laughing hysterically.

"Hey, she was right!" said Daxter. "They are all wasted!"

"Come one, Chilli Peppers. We're gonna miss the show!" said Sig.

Inside, the tent looked twice as big. Seats ran almost all around leaving a gap for the audience to enter/exit and one for the performances. In the centre was where all the action was going to happen. There was a construction suspended in the air that was probably for trapeze and aerial acts.

"So, Sig, when are we going to meet your friend?" Samos was asking.

"Well, we're gonna meet her after the show but we're gonna see her in act 3 and 7." Sig replied.

"Ooo. Is she gonna be bending in impossible yet interesting positions?" asked Daxter.

"Look at the programme."

Well, this 'friend', who ever she was, was going to appear in the acts called 'Swords and Flame', a fire twirling and sword juggling act with two other people, and 'Circle', a hoop act.

"She's supposed to be really good." commented Sig.

"She sounds dangerous!" exclaimed Daxter. "'Swords and Flame', that's a dangerous mix!"

"There doesn't seem to be any acts with animals in them." said Samos.

"What's up with that?" asked Keira.

"I think it gives the people more to do. You should see some of the things they do!" Sig replied. They could do amazing things. Sig didn't think any one could do the things he had seen. And to them it was just natural.

"Shh!" said Daxter. "It's about to start."

* * *

Jay was juggling three razor-sharp knives. Bo, one of her partners in 'Swords and Flame', paced impatiently. The Tumblers had just gone out for the first act.  
  
"Where the fuck is he?"  
  
Jay liked Bo. He was really nice and caring but could get very agitated. He was taller than Jay by at least a hand span, and had silver-blond hair, which was spiked up for the show.  
  
"Knowing Len he's probably out trying to score." Jay commented. "Catch."  
  
"I feel sorry for the girls." Bo caught one of the knives Jay threw at him and began juggling them with her.  
  
"Not just the girls, babe. Not just the girls."  
  
Bo looked at her, trying to figure out what she meant.  
  
"You mean...?"  
  
Jay nodded. Bo cringed. He never though Len would be that desperate.  
  
A clatter of metal was heard. Jay dropped one of the knives they were juggling. Something that never happened.  
  
"Jay? Is something wrong?"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"You look a little pale. You feeling ok?"  
  
"Sure, just... happy to be home."  
  
Len, tall and dark haired, came waltzing in. His cheek was unusually red and in a strange hand-shaped shape. He had that look he had; the one where he knew something the others did not.  
  
"You'll never guess who came to see the show!"  
  
"Ashlin. Governess of Haven city. Accompanied by the commander of the New Krimson Guards. I believe his name is Torn. An old green guy thing, a blue- head female, a blond female. There was also a blond guy with a squirrel on his shoulder. And Sig. Am I anywhere near your train of thought?"  
  
Bo and Len just stared. Len was surprised at how accurate she was.  
  
"I hate you" Len glared and Jay snickered.

Jay also liked Len. He was like a brother to Jay, and always on the same wave-length as her.  
  
"I know. Pass me a hoop would you, babe?"  
  
Jay studied the red mark while the hoop circled around her hips.  
  
"And was that a gift from the almighty Governess?" she asked Len, gesturing at his red cheek.  
  
"She's taken. Can you believe that!?!?!"  
  
"By whom?" asked Bo.  
  
"Why, she has captured the heart of our beloved commander." said Jay.  
  
"No kidding." Bo stroked his chin thoughtfully.  
  
Len was still ranting. The Tumblers, dressed in blues, came off stage laughing.  
  
"Who landed on their butt this time?" asked Bo.  
  
"There was this squirrel trying to hit on Lena. He got thrown on stage by this hot blond and Yaz stepped on his tail!" said one of the older males of the group.  
  
They all burst into fits of laughter. The Tumblers left, wishing them luck. The next act, three young girls in a hand balancing dance routine, nervously went on stage, leaving Jay, Bo and Len in an uneasy silence.

Bo had a new routine he had to do. He'd never done it before in front of an audience. He could never pull it off during practices.  
  
Len just wanted to impress the ladies.  
  
Jay was feeling these strange vibes. She felt them before, but never this strong. Why was it here?  
  
_I guess I'll have to visit the Hut. I hope it's still there._  
  
This was really freaking her out. Her mind was working over-time, trying to find all possible explanations to these strange feelings.  
  
Something touched her shoulder lightly and made her jump.  
  
"Hey," whispered Bo, "We're on."  
  
Jay nodded and grabbed her torches. She held out one of her torches as if were a sword.  
  
"Let's torch 'em, fellas."  
  
The boys held out their torches over hers.  
  
"Right on!"  
  
"Let them fry."  
  
They got into position and walked out onto the stage. A familiar rush of excitement drifted over everyone there.

* * *

All the lights went off, it was impossible to see your hand in front of your own face.  
  
Three lights were the only illumination in the whole tent. They moved gracefully around then came to a stop. A larger flame sprouted from each of the smaller ones in a large bowl-like thing. Music had started.  
  
Three young people were standing, swaying slowly to the gentle music. There were two males and a female; all were dressed in reds and yellows.  
  
They moved to the centre and started juggling the lit torches to each other.  
  
They pulled of some impossible moves; already they were wet with sweat. Stopping suddenly, the dark-haired male walked around the other two, looking dominant, and picked up a long pole. He walked back to the centre and held the pole up-right.  
  
The blonde male and the red-head female, who were just standing there, now moved towards the centre. They held their torches near the pole, setting it alight and causing the audience to jump in surprise.  
  
The blonde and red-head moved out a bit. The music got more intense with the addition of a fast-passed drum rhythm. The brunette then moved the pole around and under the red-head, who flipped to avoid the large flame. The crowd stared in awe as the blonde did the same in his turn.  
  
This went on for a while, the brunette swinging the pole and the blonde and red-head jumping over it. At one point the blonde back-flipped on the spot numerous times as the pole went under and over him, leaving the crowd stunned.  
  
The music changed again, going slow. The pole was back in the centre and was extinguished. The three performers went to different positions of the stage and grabbed three swords each.  
  
Like with the torches, the swords were juggled, this time the performer somersaulted in between the exchanges. The audience continued to gawp.  
  
The music stopped. The performer stopped. They moved to the centre. They dipped their sword in a tub of something-or-other and moved to the three lit bowls from earlier. They held their swords in the fire and the caught on.  
  
Fast-passed music came on suddenly. They moved rapidly and rhythmically, performing the more dramatic and wowing acrobatics.  
  
At one point, the female got on the shoulders of the males while still juggling the fiery swords then back flipped off the human pyramid.  
  
When they finished they flipped to the centre, faced the audience, crossed the flaming swords above their heads and posed, the female crouched I the centre and the males at her side, standing.  
  
The crowd roared in applause as they jumped off stage.

* * *

The end came too soon for most of the audience. The rush they felt every time one of the performers pulled off a complicated move. The curious glares they gave at the convincing mime acting during a performance. The side splitting laughter at the clowns, who were not dressed in rainbow colours and had painted faces, but were probably trying ever so hard to be serious and not laugh themselves. But it was late and everyone needed some sleep.  
  
Sig proceeded to make his way backstage, the rest followed.  
  
"So, what exactly does she want?" asked Torn.  
  
"I'm not too sure." confessed Sig. "Maybe she just wants to say 'hello'."  
  
"Oh ha ha."  
  
"Excuse me."  
  
They were stopped by a man as talk and bulky as Sig himself.  
  
"You are not allowed to be here. Please leave." the way he said it made it sound like an order.  
  
Jay had told Sig this might happen.  
  
"Jay wanted to see us. Ask her yourself." he said what she told him to say.  
  
The man grunted and glared at them for a while. He then told them to follow.  
  
"We'll see."

* * *

"Jay."  
  
"Aagghh!!! Don't do that!!!" Jay cried, gasping to calm herself.  
  
"Sorry, it's just... are you going somewhere?" the man, Kel, asked.  
  
"Say what?"  
  
Jay noticed he was referring to her packing a few things into her small bag. And the fact she had changed her clothes.  
  
"Oh, yeah. I just wanted to check something out. Why?"  
  
"There are these people who say you wanted to see them."  
  
Jay's hand went to her mouth. She had completely forgotten about Sig. But she could always go to the Hut later, and she did need Sig's help.  
  
"Yeah, they can come in."  
  
Sig came in, with a whole bunch of other people. She noticed the Governess and couldn't resist. She snorted to herself.  
  
"LEN!!!"  
  
"What!?!"  
  
Len came running in but stopped as soon as he saw Ashlin, and she saw him.  
  
"You!"  
  
Len gave Jay the most evil look.  
  
"I hate you."  
  
All Jay could do was smile as Len walked way rather hurriedly. The physically had to clamp her mouth shut with her hand as to not burst into laughter.  
  
"So, babe," she was saying to Sig, still slightly laughing, "Who are the others?"  
  
Sig introduced them one by one. She already knew the Governess, Ashlin, and Commander Torn. The small green man was Samos and his daughter, Keira. The blonds were Tess and Jak and the Ottsle was Daxter.  
  
Jay just stared at Jak. There was something about him. He was quite good- looking, tall, green goatee and blue eyes. The eyes were so familiar, like they had met before. She frowned.  
  
_No way!! It's impossible.  
_  
"Jay?"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"You wanted to ask me something."  
  
Jay remembered where she was and what was going on. She needed to go to the Hut right now.  
  
"Sig, I'm kinda busy now. Is there somewhere we can meet later?" she whispered.  
  
"I'm always at the Naughty Ottsle." Sig told her. This was weird.  
  
"Ok. I'll meet you there as soon as I can, this is just really important."  
  
"No sweat."  
  
Jay grabbed her bag and left.  
  
_I don't believe it._

* * *

**Cirque du Soleil is the love of my life in the field of miscellaneous entertainment. I have seen Quidam, Dralion, the Solstorm series and most recently watched Varekai. Everything about it is so cool! I love the clowns and the costumes and the storylines. Obviously, Cirque du Soleil was the inspiration for this chapter. I would love to be a part of the French-Canadian circus. But as a costume designer slash make-up artist, as I can't do cartwheels for shits. Well, I can, but that's about it. I did summersault in sport with a trampoline and a fat mattress once. I'm so proud.**

**Luck and Love,**

**Anita **


	3. Her Mind

**Fire's Child**

**Chapter 3- Her Mind**

* * *

_Jay's POV  
_  
Well, isn't this just great!  
  
I know I was a little different before, maybe even crazy, but this is just INSANE!!!  
  
Why did I ever ask Sig to help? I like him and all, despite him tough-guy act he's really nice, but why? I didn't need his help.  
  
Don't know why I still asked him, I think I was panicking. The thing that really pissed me of was that he brought all these other people!  
  
What really freaked me out was the fact that I had already met four of them. Old Green-Fart, the blue-head, the squirrel and the guy with the goatee.  
  
These damn vibes! Actually they are more like auras, little puffs of light.  
  
Hold up, I'm a bit all over the place right now. Um... well I guess I start at the beginning.  
  
Mum always told me I was special, but doesn't every mother say that. But I _was_ special, though I think of it differently. It's just something I do, like second nature or whatever.  
  
It's hard to explain. I can sense things, people, through distance and time. I see the things they went through, like I'm living with them. They're like ghosts or something. I think that's the best way to explain them.  
  
You're either thing "Wow, how cool!" or "Someone call the Mental hospital." Both are reasons I never told anyone. Or maybe it was because I thought everyone else could do it too, so it was nothing to brag about. It was a curse, I knew too much.  
  
And this where it grew, so to speak.  
  
The Hut is old. I think it was built before Mar was born. I love it. It's natural and colourful (though it doesn't show) not like Haven. In Haven they've tried to make it so perfect its imperfect. It's just all the same. It's unnatural and unnerving. The Hut had a nice feel to it.  
  
So... The Hut. I don't think I've found a single straight line in that place, isn't it great! I came here all the time. I didn't care if it was dangerous or out of city limits. Like I cared. It was my favourite place in the whole world.  
  
Why? A presence. More like a couple of presences, even a whole populated area, but one presence in particular.  
  
It was kind of like having imaginary friends, but I _knew_ they were real! I saw their lives. They didn't know I was there. I watched them, saw what they did. I knew all their secrets.  
  
I thought they were ghosts at one time; they used to play in areas where there was no solid ground. I also thought they were fairies, just because of the way I saw them. They were little more than a spec of light.  
  
Each light puff was unique. The way the looked, shone and their colour. Like one could be blue lightning, another could be illuminated smoke and so on, varying in colour and all that other stuff. It was magical. This is how I also see the people in Haven. According to the light surrounding them that told me what type of person they were. It's kind of complicated.  
  
I studied the geographical history of Haven City and surrounding areas when I was older. I was so amazed at how much the whole area changed. Amazed and shocked. How could it change so much?  
  
I also studied Eco and the Precural history. It was hell interesting; I was shocked at how the Precursors' managed to keep everything so secret. Eco was also interesting. I used to dream of becoming an Eco Sage, but it was a myth  
  
Well with my vast knowledge, quick wits and... Oh stuff it! I figured out that the 'Light Puffs" were from a different time zone.  
  
They were from a place called Sandover Village. I'll admit that I was scared but I got over it pretty quick. I never gave it much thought, like I said it's just something I do.  
  
So, I was a freak. I played with dead people. I lived in a different time, a different world.  
  
I remember when Jak was born. Trust me; this has something with the story.  
  
So, anyways, Jak was born. Mum was over the moon and I was happy for her. It was six or so years ago. He was adorable, and his aura was perfect. Everything about him was perfect. Sure, he was a little un-co but one look into those eyes and you were like, "stuff it!" He had Mum's eyes, big and blue. He was an angel... My angel.  
  
That is when I noticed something. I didn't know what it was. I thought it was a warning because bad things started to happen, like Mum dieing and me getting imprisoned.  
  
I remember lots of screaming. The walls were cold, food was cold, even the people were cold. Most people went mad with fear and pain. A few survived but were later killed. I get flashes of my time there, either in visions, sounds or feelings. They still haunt me; I swear I can still feel the pain of the injection. But, then, I will always have that little reminder.  
  
Ok, fast forward. I escaped the 'Lab', joined a circus and wound up back in Haven. That's how I came to be here, in The Hut.  
  
I could see the aura, but I didn't believe it, I still don't. That is why I am here. To find out.  
  
In the centre of The Hut I sat cross-legged. I knew what to look for. I had to find him, so I could prove that I was insane and it wasn't real.  
  
I couldn't find him, he was nowhere. I widened my search. He was _here_. I didn't believe it. He was so close. I shut it out.  
  
I decided to try another approach. I should try and find Jak. If I found him here then maybe the other person was just that, another person. Maybe I was losing my touch, or he was like Jak.  
  
There he was. Jak was there, at least an age away, exactly as I remember him. And there was also a feeling of déjà vu. It was so strong.  
  
That was all I needed to know. I knew where my ghostly friend was and _who_ he was.  
  
He was Jak. Well, an older Jak but it was still Jak! And Jak, my angel, was dead, chronologically speaking. It was a horrible thought. I'd already lost Mum, and now I lost Jak.  
  
My mind was just going way to fast. Thoughts were coming in and developing at record speed. I don't think I even noticed the tears.  
  
I had to write this down. For some reason everything looks simpler on paper.  
  
Ok here is how it goes. Jak the elder grew up in Sandover blah blah. He then got sent here, to this time. Then Jak the younger got sent to Sandover and Jak the elder remains. So it goes Jak is born here, gets sent there, comes back here and sends himself there.  
  
Holy Fuck! We're in a time loop!! No, that not it. Goat Man's my brother!!!

* * *

**Things DO look simpler on paper. Accept algebra. Algebra is just stupid. And quadratics. And index laws. Actually, anything associated with mathematics looks like absolute gibberish.**

**Luck and Love,**

**Anita **


	4. Onin

**Fire's Child**

**Chapter 4- Onin**

* * *

The rain poured through the roof of the Hut. Jay was making no attempt to shelter herself. She sat in the same position for a few hours. Unconsciously, she had de-braided her hair, which was just as wet as the rest of her.  
  
This was not happening. Stuff like this only happened to special people. She wasn't special.  
  
Although it couldn't be seen, she was crying. She had already lost so much and now she lost her only reason for living. She couldn't even think anymore.  
  
Thunder rumbled in the distance. Jay jumped. For the first time since she knew she had a solid thought.  
  
_I should probably move._  
  
She had no idea what time it was but she could tell it was way past midnight. She hadn't even noticed the rain.  
  
She stood up slowly and glanced around. The place looked as if it was going to fall apart any moment. She walked around aimlessly for a while until she finally garbed her bag and walked out.  
  
It was raining harder than her first thought. It didn't bother her, her mind was elsewhere. The rain pelted her, soaking her even more if possible. It was raining so hard and fast Jay couldn't see her hand in front of her face.  
  
She slowly made her way to the entrance of the City. A familiar female voice was heard, repeating a pre-recorded message.  
  
"Great to hear your voice again." Jay whispered silently and walked back into Haven.  
  
I guess I should find somewhere out of the rain. She considered going back into the 'decontamination' room but she thought better of it.  
  
In all honesty, the rain didn't bother her at all. She found it very relaxing. If it hadn't been raining when she found Jak she would probably be screaming. She kept her mind off the situation by listening for each individual rain drop. Obviously, it was impossible but it worked.  
  
She didn't really want to go see this impostor who claimed to be Jak. Technically he was Jak, but to Jay he was the mastermind behind some cruel joke. She wanted to avoid him at all costs.  
  
She looked at where she was, mainly because she wanted to know where she was. The first thing she noticed was that the streets were empty and slightly flooded. She was at the Bazaar. The stalls were closed and packed away. It looked like some of the ghost town she had seen.  
  
By chance, Jay found herself at the front of a hut. It was Onin's hut.  
  
_Why the Hell not_, she walked in to candle lit surroundings.  
  
Onin, a frail looking old blind woman has in the centre; sitting cross- legged with a bowl on her head. A weird looking monkey-bird was in a hammock nearby, feasting on berries. He was startled by her.  
  
"Aark! You! Who are you!? What do you want!? How did you get in!?" he fired the questions quickly.  
  
"I'm Jay, I need shelter and the non-existent door was open." she shot back.  
  
"Well, I am the great Pecker and I say..." he was cut off as Onin started waving her hands around.  
  
_It's wonderful to see you again, Jay. I hope you are well.  
_  
"Onin says..."  
  
Jay sat and bowed her head. "It's good to finally meet you, Onin."  
  
Pecker was clearly shocked. "You understood her!?"  
  
Jay nodded silently.  
  
_You always were a good listener.  
_  
"I can hear you as well as my own thoughts."  
  
_But are they comprehensible?  
_  
Jay thought. She understood what she was saying but what she was saying didn't make sense. Logically, it would have been simple. Jak was her biological brother who had simply time-travelled and came back older. But when emotions were introduced it was a different matter.  
  
_Emotions always complicate things.  
_  
Tears re-emerged from Jay's eyes. _What should I do?_ she asked silently.  
  
_What would_ you _want you to do?_  
  
Pecker had gone back to eating his berries. He looked so care-free.  
  
What _would_ she want herself to do?  
  
If she thought she was alone in the world, she would be thrilled to find someone who knew her, even if it were just a friend. If her whole childhood was a blank, she would love someone to tell her what was missing. It would be nice to know you were not the only one.  
  
Onin smiled. _When do you plan to tell him?_  
  
_Why haven't you told him?  
  
It's not my place.  
_  
_Couldn't you tell him?  
_  
_It's not my place._ Onin repeated.  
  
_He deserves to know.  
_  
He did indeed. Onin told her Jak had no memory of his previous time in Haven City and Jay suspected no one had bothered to enlighten him. She didn't think they even knew she existed!  
  
She didn't know how much she would tell him.  
  
_He _is _a grown man now._ Commented Onin.  
  
Jay had forgotten. She still thought of him as a small boy, but he was grown up. She would tell him everything she knew, if he asked.  
  
There was something else bothering Jay. The fact that it brought back memories of prison was bothersome enough. Just before she left, the Baron was in his first stages of his new 'Dark Warrior' program. Jay managed to catch a quick glimpse of the test subject. She now had some idea of who the poor individual was.  
  
_Onin? Is Jak the Dark Warrior?_ She asked fearfully.  
  
Onin slowly nodded. _Yes he is.  
_  
Jay said no more. He deserved so much better. He had already been through too much.  
  
Outside was still dark, but it was morning and it had stoped raining. Jay's clothes were dry and her hair bounced back to their natural curls. It was now or never.  
  
_Will you tell him about yours?_ Onin asked.  
  
_No.  
_  
Nobody needed to know. Onin lowered her head and said no more. Jay sneezed. Well that's what you get for frolicking in the rain.  
  
She grabbed her bag, checked it was ok and slung it over her shoulder. She looked at her hands. Her right hand had a glove with one large hole for the four fingers and was low, close to the wrist and a hole for the thumb to go through. A bit of fabric came up and meet in between the middle finger and ring finger and the ring finger and pinkie.  
  
Her left hand was completely covered. It went under her sleeve and reached up beyond her elbow. She clenched and un-clenched her left hand. She couldn't remember the last time she saw it un-gloved.  
  
_Until we next meet._  
  
Jay looked up and smiled.  
  
_I hope it's soon.  
_  
Jay steeped out of the tent. She sighed, the smell of fresh rain lingered in the air. People were emerging to observe the damage. There was still plenty of rain to come.  
  
She hesitated no longer. She turned and made her way to the Naughty Ottsle.

* * *

**OH MY GOD! What the hell is going on!? What's happening!? What happened to my Nutella!? Where's that leprechaun!? Who are you people!? Why won't you leave me in peace!? (I'm sleepy. Don't take this personally)**

**Luck and Love,**

**Anita **


	5. Eco Demons

**Fire's Child  
****Chapter 5- Eco Demons**

* * *

Jak did not like the way Jay had looked at him. It was like she was prying through his mind, getting at all his thoughts. But she seemed harmless enough. 

It was morning, and the gang were at the Naughty Ottsle, adding more modifications. Every one was helping Daxter set up the bar to his liking.

"Jak, move the picture down a bit! Tess, where are those order forms? Be careful with that!!!" Daxter was standing on the counter, shouting orders at every one.

Ashlin had had enough. She intentionally dropped the box of liquor she was carrying, causing all the bottles to smash.

"NNNOOOOOOO!!!!" Daxter yelled.

"That was uncalled for." Jak told her later.

"I honestly couldn't give a stuff. What really pisses me off is that Torn didn't show." She replied bitterly.

Actually, no-one had seen Torn since last night, at the circus. He said he needed to look for something.

"Have you tried calling him?" asked Keira, emerging from behind Jak.

"Of course I have!" yelled Ashlin.

"Ok," Keira raised her hands in defence. "You don't have to be all bitchy about it!" And she went to talk to Tess.

Ashlin sighed and sat her self down. She looked stressed and tired. Probably due to her new role as a governess. She already had a short fuse and the extra pressure seemed to make it worse.

"Why hasn't he answered?" asked Jak.

"He's probably left the damn thing at home."

Ashlin continued to rant about how much Torn was pissing her off when, lo and behold, Torn came through the door.

"Hey," his tone of voice wasn't cheery.

"A little late, don't you think?" said Daxter, ever so sarcastically.

"Torn where have you been, and where is your communicator!?" yelled Ashlin.

"Ok, but first let me ask you this; did anyone find something odd about Jay last night?"

Torn was always suspicious of anything and everything. Old habits die hard or continue to haunt the people around you.

"She's a clown, what so odd about that?" as crude as that may sound, Daxter was actually being serious.

Jak, wanted to mention that she looked at him funny, but maybe he was being paranoid. And besides, Sig was talking.

"She did seem a bit distant. I've never seen the cherry act like that before. It's like she was scared or something, especially around you guys."

"She was a bit edgy."

"She looked 'knowing'. As if she knew thing others could only dream of." Samos said wisely.

Everyone nodded their heads.

"I thought as much, you guys better come with me."

* * *

They took their time to get to the palace. Torn was explaining his whereabouts of earlier on. 

"Jay has supernatural powers."

Everyone was shocked.

"You mean she's a witch?!" asked Keira.

"I'll get to that. While I was still serving the Baron, he was conducting several of his 'projects' and I was helping." he said.

"You mean like the 'Dark Warrior' program?" said Ashlin.

They all shot a nervous glance at Jak.

"Sort of. We weren't really sure of the effects Dark Eco was going to have on the body, or even regular Eco for that matter." Torn continued.

"We weren't sure if Eco could be injected in the body and be used at will. This didn't stop Praxis.

He found that Green Eco didn't affect people as much as the others did. People exposed to it remained relatively normal. That was the first part done; now he just needed something to experiment on. He imprisoned many people; they were injected with Green Eco. Oh, turn here."

"Why?" asked Daxter.

"Coz I said." Daxter still managed to piss Torn off.

They turned into an outdoor restaurant. Jay, from the circus, was sitting at a table, sipping at her mug of tea. She sneezed then took another sip. Torn motioned them to follow as he went over.

"I'm glad you agreed to this." Torn told her as he sat down.

"Sure." Jay's nose was blocked and red. Her cold was making her talk funny.

"What exactly do you want me to do?"

"I would like you to come with us."

Jay sneezed again but said nothing. Torn went on.

"We need your knowledge of Eco, you studied it, right?" Jay nodded. "We are going to review the scientific reports."

"You mean...?"

Torn lowered his voice so only Jay could hear. "You know what we are dealing with."

Jay sipped and sighed. "Fine. Ok. I'll come. I won't ask why but I've got a feeling we'll find out soon enough." she stood up and paid the waiter.

Again, they began to walk to the palace. It was awkwardly silent, except for the various sneezes provided by Jay.

* * *

Once at the palace, Torn led them to the records library. The room was filled, wall to wall, with books, scrolls, video surveillance tapes and weird pre-recorded holographic things, you know, the usual. 

"The Baron hid them somewhere, and it's not here." No-one knew what Torn was talking about. Jay, however, seemed to understand and began to scan the room.

After a short while, Jay moved over to a ladder and began to climb. Once at the very top, she placed her hand behind the shelf and searched with her touch. They all watched attentively. Suddenly, the shelf moved. Jay gave a startled yelp at the sudden jolt, soon followed by yet another sneeze.

The shelf thing moved its self out of the way to reveal another room. Gasps of awe and amazement went around.

Torn walked into the dusty room, Jay was descending the ladder.

Torn quickly searched the room.

"Is it it?" asked Jay. Torn simply nodded.

"This where the Baron kept the records and scientific reports on the Eco experiments." he explained.

"Torn, what is going on?" Ashlin wasn't the only one to notice the relative lack of information.

Torn grabbed a holographic projector and set on the table. A miniature man appeared above it.

"This is Loren. He was the 'guinea pig' for the Green Eco Project. He acquired an 'understanding' of plants on a much more spiritual level. Much like yourself, Samos. This alone was amazing, but the Baron wasn't too happy.

He wanted to acquire power, not understanding, so he continued with the injections. Eventually, we ran out of Green Eco, but the Baron got his wish. Loren could now control the plants."

The long silence was broken by a sneeze. (guess from whom) Jay placed another two holo-projector on the table. Two more guys appeared.

"Praxis decided to try the test with the other Ecos. With his knowledge from the previous test, it was modified to an extent. The Baron wanted to create an army of supernatural warriors.

Dreal was the 'Lightning Warrior', injected with Blue Eco. His speed increased dramatically. Tyr was injected with Red Eco. Again, we ran out of the Eco."

"What about Yellow Eco?" asked Samos.

Torn place yet another holo-projector n the table. This time a young woman appeared.

"This is the 'Flame Warrior'. Her name was Jaria-Kai. She was the Barons favourite, he had high hopes for her. She ended up being a disappointment, and waste of Eco."

"How so?" Jak spoke for the first time.

"Kai was strong, both mentally and physically. The Baron was hoping to break her and turn her into his weapon."

This comment sounded all too familiar to Jak.

"The last I heard, she died due to an over-dose of the Eco." Torn finished.

"Well that's understandable," said Samos. "Yellow Eco is the Eco of fire."

Silence took over again. Everyone was trying to make sense of all the information. For one, all the Eco was gone, used for stupid experiments. And there were more people like Jak, maybe not as fucked up but you get what I mean.

"What does this have to do with Jay?" Jak finally asked.

"As far as we know, Tyr, Loren and Dreal are still alive." answered Jay. "I'm guessing when I say Torn wants us to locate them and dissect them, remove their innards and manufacture them into food for the poor, causing them to digest the Eco and give them a temporary surge of adrenaline. Like when you mix Waterdust with Lurker ale in a small glass 7 centimetres tall with a diameter of 4 centimetres at the rim. The trick is to drink it in one shot and then squeeze some honey into your mouth as soon as possible. Now, it has to be squeezed, I cannot stress that enough. Afterwards you will be absolutely spasticated for hours on end. Did you know that honey is actually wumpbee puke?"

Several hands went to mouths and faces went pale. Daxter was secretly planing to get the Waterdust and Lurker ale recipe from Jay.

"NO! We could use their help on the remaining Metalheads. I was hoping Jay could help us out." replied Torn.

"How?" they all said in unison.

"It's because she's a witch." Keira said nastily.

"Actually, I'm Clairvoyant." Jay said defensively.

"A what?"

"A psychic." explained Torn. "She's a Seer. She can help us out by 'looking' for them."

"Ok, but can 'look' somewhere else? This place creeps me. It may be the bad spirits." Jay waved her hands around mystically. This enraged Keira.

* * *

Outside, it started raining again. The light drizzle still allowed for some activity. 

Everyone was overflowing with information, each bit as far-fetched as the next.

As they closed in on the Naughty Ottsle Jay dragged Jak away from the others. Jak noticed she looked a little pale. She was definitely nervous.

"I need to talk to you." She whispered.

Jak waited patiently. Her breathing was uneven.

"Are you ok?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just hard to get it out." She attempted to calm herself.

"Do you want me to get you a drink or something?"

"Don't tempt me, baby brother. Our mother wouldn't be too happy."

Now he was confused beyond reason. _What did she just call me? What was that about 'our' mother?_

"Jak, I'm your sister."

* * *

**Gasp! And the plot thickens... (shifty eyed)**

**And honey really IS regurgitated dehydrated nectar that was partially digested by bees. Yum!**

**Luck and Love,**

**Anita**


	6. Reunion

**Fire's Child  
****Chapter 6- Reunion**

* * *

_  
Jak's POV_

_

* * *

_

"What!?"

It came out a little louder than I intended but I think I got my point across. I mean, come on! My _sister!?_ I'm finding a little hard to believe.

"And what, exactly, is so hard to believe?" her voice was full of hurt. I was full of pure shock and utter confusion. Did I just say that out loud? I'm pretty sure I didn't.

"You didn't."

There she goes again. Now I know I didn't say _that_!

"Look you might as well just say whatever's on your mind. I'm gonna find out anyway." she sat down on the ground.

"Why don't you just read my mind, I'll save my breath that way." I didn't mean to snap but this was a really cruel prank to play on someone.

"I can't always control what I see. I may come across a private memory and I wish to respect your privacy. And it's not a prank."

The frightened look on her face may have been the reason why I listened to her in the first place. She just looked as if she had done something wrong.

"I'm sorry, but it is hard to believe." I told her, sitting next to her

"And the fact that you used to be a 6 year old a few weeks ago isn't!?" Hurray, I made her cry. Good on you, Jak (!). But how did she know about the kid? I told them not to tell anyone.

"Who told you?" I asked.

"Do you know what a Clairvoyant is?" She asked me accusingly. I wonder where she's going with this. Ok, fine, I'll play along.

"No, I don't."

"Clairvoyance is translated as 'clear seeing'. I can see things, people through time. I specialize in auras and personal energies."

Aha!

"So you located my aura in Sandover and worked out the rest?"

"You catch on fast." She smiled at me. She had a beautiful smile. It was not forced or anything. Although it was a bit weak. I could tell Jay liked to smile a lot by how easily it came to her face.

But there was no physical resemblance to subject we were siblings. Her hair was a deep red and she had smoky-grey eyes. This was opposed to my blonde hair and blue eyes. The more I looked at her the more I get the feeling I've seen her somewhere before.

A rustle startled me. Jay was rummaging through her bag. She produced a crumpled piece of paper and handed it to me.

"This is for you." she said, her smile fading a bit.

I didn't know what to expect. I unfolded it carefully so I wouldn't rip or tear it. It was a picture of a boy and a young woman. The woman was very beautiful. She looked kind and loving. She held the boy protectively yet playfully. She was sad, though. Her smile was painful and her deep blue eyes were full of grief. The boy had a clump of her blonde hair in his hand. He was little more than an infant. An infant with green hair and blue eyes.

"Is that...?"

"You?" she cut me off.

"And is that...?" she nodded.

The woman was my mother. This is my reason for being alive. I owe my life to her.

Her smile was familiar. This was way too much. All the info wasn't being processed. I looked over at Jay. She was smiling at me. I must have had my mouth open in disbelief for her to be doing that.

It hit me then. Jay had the same smile as the woman!

"You're... She's your...You're my..." I don't think I ever got it out. This was really hard to believe.

Jay moved ever so slightly. She leaned over to me; her hand brushed my knee softly. This released a memory.

I remember when I was nine or so I fell and scraped my knee. It was bleeding pretty badly. Then I saw a faint outline of a person, a young woman. She touched my knee, exactly where Jay's hand was now and it completely healed. Jay must have remembered also.

"You are." I whispered to her.

Jay was trembling, and she was crying. She was my sister and she found me, and I finally found her.

I threw my arms around her and held her close. I didn't want to let her go. I felt her arms hug me back and her face burry itself in my shoulder, which soon became damp. She mumbled something against my shirt. It sounded like "I wish for a punch." but I don't think that was it.

I didn't care what she said. I had a_ sister_!

* * *

**  
AWWW! Tender moment.**

**Luck and Love,**

**Anita**


	7. Water Games

**Fire's Child  
****Chapter 7- Water Games **

* * *

**  
**Jak quickly grew to love Jay. He could tell that she deeply cared for him, not just as a sister, but more as mother. But not a mother stuck in the toddler era. She would care for him as a mother would care but she would talk to him as sister. They even began having heated discussions and debates. 

Even with all the things she was doing, like circus rehearsal (she refused to give that up) and going over reports with Torn, Jay still found plenty of time to spend with Jak. They mainly talked of Jak's younger years, and Jay showed off some of her tricks at Jak's insistence.

At the moment, they were in Haven Forrest. Jay was doing psychic reading on Jak and showing off her psychometry skills. She was supposed to be scrying for the

other experiments.

"The gift is mine and I'll use it however I like." she told him.

"You don't care much for other peoples' opinions do you?" commented Jak.

"I don't care much for other people." was her reply.

Jak was rather taken aback. 'Doesn't care'!? She seemed so caring, especially to the younger generation.

"They always seem to disappear or let me down when I need them the most. I've learned not to fully trust them." was her explanation.

"Do you trust me?" Jak asked her.

"Hell no!"

Jak took no offence. He knew it must be hard for someone to let people into their

lives when they had been disappointed so many times. Instead, he picked her up and threw her into the river, plain and simple.

Jay screamed in shock and was soon silenced as she hit the water. Jak jumped in and submerged before Jay could figure out what was going on. Jay surfaced and looked around.

"Jak!" she called out.

Meanwhile, Jak was swimming underneath the water (obviously) and slowly made his to Jay. He crept up behind her and threw his arms around her waist. He heard her scream again and surfaced, laughing.

"You prick! I hate you!" She splashed him, he slashed back.

This went on for a while, splashing, yelling obscenities and trying to drown each other. Although Jak was stronger, Jay was swift, even in water. That was until Jak accidentally threw a handful of mud at her head.

"Arghhh!!! It's in my ear!!! Get it out!!!" she screamed. This was purposely melodramatic, for she leapt out of the water and began running around in circles.

Jak was struggling to stay afloat as he laughed at Jay's reaction.

"It's not funny!!!" her yelling at him only made him laugh harder.

After Jak got out of the water and Jay washed out the dirt from her ear they lay on the grass, staring at the clouds.

"Jay?" Jak whispered.

"Yeah?"

"What happened to our mother?"

Their short conversation was cut short by the sound of Jak's communicator radio thing.

"Yeah?" Jak answered.

"Jak," came Torn's voice. "We need you at headquarters. Get your ass here immediately."

"Yeah, my ass'll be there in a few minutes."

"Well tell it to hurry." and the connection was cut.

Jak slowly got to his feet and glanced at Jay.

"Aren't you coming?"

"He didn't ask for my ass." she replied

Jak gave a small laugh.

"I'll be there in a little while." she reached over and tapped his shoe.

"Ok." he reluctantly left her.

She seemed odd all of a sudden. Almost claustrophobic-like. Ever since the

mention of her mother.

_Something must have happened. Something bad._ He thought.

He didn't want to think about it, but it had always been at the very back of his mind.

Her mother, his mother was dead.

It was a horrible thought but he could find no other explanation fro her not being here. He would have thought she would have been looking for him, with Jay, and they would have found him much sooner. She also might have abandoned them but after seeing the picture she did not come across as someone who would do that.

She must have died. Why else would Jay suddenly feel distant?

He heard a faint splash. He just hoped she would be ok.

* * *

**  
I always melodramatically scream when I get something in my ear. Trust me, it's not a very nice feeling. Speaking of melodrama, all the good things in life stem from drama class. Well, all the funny things in life anyway. Like; one time (in drama class) we were doing an activity where we had to make up a short play containing the words "Shh, someone's knocking.". So we were getting all our props ready and I was mucking around, jumping on the 'TV'. Next thing I know, I fall through the TV. It was hilarious! But ended up with a swollen leg and a big chunk of meat got taken out coz I scraped my self when I fell through. Oh well…**

**Luck and Love,**

**Anita **


	8. Depression

**Fire's Child  
****Chapter 8- Depression**

**

* * *

**_  
Jay's POV_

Thank God he was gone! No offence to him, I do want to spend as much time with my brother as I can but I didn't want him to see me like this.

It's been, I don't know, 3 years since Mum passed. And it wasn't one of those "she's gonna die soon" things or something we were expecting. Now that I think about it, I don't think it would have made a difference if it was expected. No, she was taken from me.

I saw the bastard do it. He was drunk, but he still did it. He wanted something; she wouldn't give it to him so he shot her then dragged her off somewhere. I didn't follow him, whoever he was. I grabbed Jak and ran to the Hut. This was of course when he was smaller.

Just the mentioning of her bought back a lot of memories.

While floating on the water, all these familiar feeling re-introduced themselves. I'm lying. They have always been there, all my life. Just now they were stronger and over-powering.

I swear I could hear people singing. It was sweet but extremely sorrowful. My surroundings blended together. I wasn't really paying attention to them. My eyes filled with tears.

My head began to hurt, though I couldn't feel the rest of my body.

I wanted to scream, hit something, do something, anything! I hated everything!  
The water helped. It just wrapped itself around me, hugging me. It felt very comforting.

It actually made me feel very sleepy. All my energy just seemed to have been blown away. I found it very difficult to move.

I did eventually get back to shore. I sat there cross-legged, half in water, for what seemed like hours. This squirrel was munching noisily on a nut. It really irritated me. I hate it when I get irritated. It never leads to any good.

I took my glove off my right hand. A thin pale line, almost invisible, was on my wrist. I pulled out my knife and touched the blade to my skin on my wrist. I applied pressure and dragged it slowly across it. A red line followed the knife's tip, soon accompanied by a familiar hot sensation.

My wrist bled freely. I shivered at the sight of it but felt strangely comforted. It was horrible. I hated it, I hated doing it. I hated everything at the moment, especially myself.

I stared at the water, tears were soaking my cheeks but I don't think I made a sound.

I cried for a good while. When I finally did stop I didn't feel anything. I felt no emotion. I felt... neutral.

When I felt better, well, not as bad, I pulled my glove back on and headed back into Haven City. I had a feeling Torn would want the information I had.

* * *

**  
This chapter was based on personal experiences. It sucks, trust me. But I'm all laughs now! No need to worry!**

**Luck and Love,**

**Anita**


	9. Red Eco Demon

**Fire's Child  
****Chapter 9- Red Eco Demon**

* * *

Torn did want the information. He was very glad to get it. That was after he yelled at Jay for a good 5 minutes. Jay wasn't really paying attention; she was more interested in her cuticles.

"I know you're helping us on your own accordance, but we need commitment. You can't just go off when we need you here!"

Torn's lecture was only a dull droning to Jay. She was paying attention to something more important and much more interesting.

A thin beam of red light was pulsating through the air. It was like a trail, leading from inside the Ottsle to somewhere out side, no doubt to the outskirts of the city. The beam was emitting an eerie humming. The air itself was vibrating

Jak had had enough. He pulled Torn aside and whispered angrily. "Lay off! She wasn't feeling too well earlier."

"She should be doing her job, and so should you." Torn hissed back.

"Lay off!" Jak repeated.

The conversation was left at that. They went back to find Tess, Ashlein and Keira talking about...things. Sig and Daxter were arguing about Daxter's prices of alcohol and liquor, especially that supplied to close friends. Jay was standing in the middle of the room, frowning. Her head was tilted to one side, like a curios young kitten.

"What's wrong?" Jak asked as he walked over to her.

Jay continued to stare at nothing.

"I found Tyr." was all she said.

Torn looked as if he would have kissed her. The Red Eco experiment was found. Though not a word was said, it was obvious what the mood was.

"What now?" asked Jay.

* * *

They were walking all the way to the other side of the city. They were following some invisible trail that only Jay could seem to see. Luckily, she had given the exact location and address, so no-one felt awkward.

They walked quietly but not silently. Torn lead with Sig and Daxter following. Tess, Keira and Ashlien came next and Jak and Jay were last. Jay was testing Jak, to see if he had any psychic potential.

"Ok," she said. "What be here, in my clenched fist?"

"What is it?" Jak asked.

"Oh hoho, no. I'm not falling for that again!"

Jak had quickly asked "What is it?" so Jay would just as quickly answer back. It had worked the last three times.

Jak did not have clue what was in her hand and told her so. Jay opened her hand and reviled a ring.

"Oh well. I guess you're just weird." Jay smiled.

Jay told him that a psychic talent could be hereditary in families.

They walk for a while longer, the siblings cracking strange jokes.

"Ok, I got one!" Jay tried to control her laughter. "It's a bit stupid but what the hell.

"A blonde guy gets home early from work and hears strange noises coming from the bedroom. He rushes upstairs to find his wife naked on the bed, sweating and panting.

'What's up?' he says.

'I'm having a heart attack!' cries the woman

He rushes downstairs to grab the phone, but just as he's dialling, his 4- year old son comes up and says,

'Daddy! Daddy! Uncle Ted's hiding in your closet and he's got no clothes on!'

The guy slams the phone down and storms upstairs into the bedroom, past his screaming wife, and rips open the closet door.

Sure enough, there is his brother, totally naked, cowering on the closet floor.

'You jerk!' says the husband, 'my wife's having a heart attack and you're running around with no clothes on scaring the kids!'."

"What the hell!" Jak clutched his stomach and laughed along with Jay.

They were being stared at. But no one seemed to care.

"We're nearly there." announced Torn.

Jay seemed to get a serge of Blue Eco, for she raced forward, laughing.

"Tyr!" she called.

"What?" came a voice from inside a battered down house.

"Emerge from your dwellings and grace us with your presence!"

A head popped out of a window. A head of a 30-ish year old male. A small child ran out of the house, pursued by an older child and a woman who was unmistakably their mother.

"Hello Jay, it's nice to see you again." said the woman.

"Hey Teeah." replied Jay.

"Jay!" the man, who was most obviously Tyr, shouted from inside the house.

"Mr. Red Eco!"

* * *

After Jay had finished screaming and every one had been introduced, they were invited inside. Torn sat at the table and talked to Tyr.

Jay had persuaded the children to eavesdrop and relay what they were talking about back to her. Everyone else was anxiously waiting for the message as Jay lip- read.

"Listen... I... am... gay." Jay translated.

"You can't lip-read, can you?" Daxter asked.

"Of course I... can't"

"You know, you could have waited and we would have told anyways." Torn came out of nowhere.

Jay screamed. Then everyone else screamed.

"What're y'all screamin' about!?" said Jay.

Everyone looked at her in annoyance. She returned the look with one of her own.

"What were you gonna tell us then?" asked Ashlein.

"Well, Tyr has decided to join the Krimson Guard." Torn replied.

Jay gasped in melodramatic shock. "You WHAT!?" She screamed at Tyr. "Are you insane!? You do know that the Commander is a raving lunatic that suffers from schizophrenia, don't you!?"

Jak, Daxter and Sig silently laughed. No-one had ever said that to Torn's face, but, technically, she didn't say it to his face.

Torn, naturally, was fuming. But common sense prevented him from tackling Jay right then and there.

"Then why are you in the KG?" Tyr asked Jay, hoping to change the subject.

"I'm not... am I?" Jay replied.

"NO!" said Torn. "And I am extremely thankful for that!"

Actually, now that Jay thought about it, she didn't really know what her role was. All Torn had told her was that he wanted help with locating the other experiments. But what was going to happen after they were all present and accounted for?

And what was their purpose, come to think of it? Why did Torn want the original Eco experiments?

Jay asked herself a number of questions related to the purpose of the Eco Demons. She tried to reason some answers, but they were all very unlikely.

The others were talking, but it was all muffled. She couldn't make out any of the words. It was as if she were underwater.

She then noticed a something from the corner of her eye. It was gone in a flash but by then she knew exactly what it was, having seen it a number of times. And besides, now it was of a feeling she got, and she had that feeling right now.

"Hey, guys." she said.

Everyone continued talking. Annoyingly, their voiced were still soundless.

"People." she called again.

Again they continued talking as if she were not there.

_Oh God! High School flashback!_ Jay said to herself.

"Fine! Ignore me! See if I care!" Jay almost yelled.

Finally, she was acknowledged

"And about fucking time!" Jay exclaimed.

"Sorry." some mumbled.

Jay snorted in disgust. "Well I just thought you'd all like to know the Dreal is currently cooking at his house in the Water Slums. But since youse all don't care I'll just shut up."

* * *

**  
Believe it or not I'm always ignored. It's like I'm not there. I could go up to someone, put very bad make-up on them, ruffle their hair, steal their wallet, put a bag over their heads and repeatedly hit them with a comically over-sized frying pan or some other hilariously large object and they wouldn't even notice. Maybe not to this extent but I WAS trying to make a point. Shut up!**

**Luck and Love,**

**Anita**


	10. Blue Eco Demon

**Fire's Child  
****Chapter 10- Blue Eco Demon**

* * *

They made the long walk to the Water Slums in basically the same way they made their way to Tyr's house. This time, however, Jay was far behind, walking very slowly and was humming a song to herself. She didn't seem to listen to the calls for her to hurry up, or if she did she payed no attention.

As with everything else Jay did, Torn was highly annoyed. According to him, this was costing them precious time they did not have. Time which could be put to better use.

"Jak, will you tell her to hurry up!" Torn said.

"Hey, I gave you the address. Or aren't you allowed on the streets by yourself?" called Jay from where she was.

Sig and Daxter looked at her in awe at her sheer defiance of Torn. That and the fact that she spoke to him the way she did. They were just waiting patiently for Torn to snap. Then the fun would begin.

"You're coming along so we can keep an eye on you." Torn snapped.

"What am I? A criminal?" asked Jay.

"The way you act it seems like it!"

"Well lock me up why don't you!?"

"Maybe I should!!"

"Then go ahead! No-one's stoping you!!" Jay practically yelled.

She turned around and began walking in the other direction, her face rather flushed. Everyone stared after her and wondered at her sudden change in mood. It was rather strange, it seemed so out of character, not that they knew what her character was.

"Why did you go and do that for!?" asked an infuriated Jak.

"Where you even there!?"

The bickering was rather childish. Torn sighed in frustration and Jak gave him a rather nasty glare. Ashelin decided to question Tyr.

"What's her problem?" she asked.

"She's had a tough life. I don't blame her." Tyr answered.

"How do you mean?" asked Keira.

"She lived in a survival of the fittest type world." Tyr struggled to describe Jay's problematic life. "She basically stated at the bottom and had to fight her way to where she is now."

He went on to explain how Jay grew up in the worst part of town. How her mother struggled just to keep herself alive and Jay was left to fend for herself. Jay's mother did the best she could to give Jay hope for her future. The danger money Mika (Jay's mum) got was just enough to send Jay to school.

"They loved each other dearly, no doubt about it." Tyr commented. "They were so close. Jay was devastated when she died…"

Jak stoped dead in his tracks. Jay's mother _was_ dead, that meant his mother was dead. He did not know what to think. Was Jay over this? Jak didn't think he be the same if he lost someone that dear. Jak shuddered at the very thought of this subject. Not to mention all the other things she seemed to have been through.

Jak jumped as something came into contact with his arm.

"Are you ok, Jak?" Keira asked him.

"Uh, yeah. I just… remembered something I had to do."

"Well hurry up!" Torn was still highly agitated.

Jak didn't even respond. He ran in the direction Jay had gone. Hopefully, he could catch up to her and comfort her. Or maybe he wanted comforting. Jak's head was swirling, he felt nauseous. All he wanted to do was cry. And he wanted more information on his past life. He might as well do it sooner rather than later.

Jak jumped on his JET board and raced down the streets. He stoped every so often to ask citizen if the had seen Jay. Lucky for him, Jay's bright red hair was extremely hard to miss.

Jak followed her trail, which eventually brought him to the Water Slums. This place looked as if it would fall into the water at any moment. He pitied the people living in this area of the city. Come to think of it, it wasn't any better than any other part of the city.

After questioning a few more people, Jak found himself at the front of a house that looked like any other house. Supposedly, Jay was in there. Jak took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

A middle aged man opened the door a crack and peered out at Jak. He looked at him with sad, tired eyes.

"Yes? Can I help you?" the man spoke slowly and his voice was raspy, as if it hadn't been used in a while.

Jak tried to look into the house, to see if Jay was in there. "I'm looking for someone." he said clearly.

The man looked back inside. His arm got nudged out of the way and a head emerged from behind the door.

"Jay!"

She was a mess. Her face was slightly flushed from running. Her eyes were red and puffy, as if she were crying. And she was trembling.

"Jay, is our mother dead?" Jak asked straight out.

Jay looked down to avoid the questioning glare, but nodded. Jak's shoulders fell and his eyes went to the floor.

"Would you like to come it?" the man opened the door wider to let Jak in.

Jak made his way slowly in. Jay met with him in the door way.

"I'm sorry you had to find out this way." she whispered.

Jak embraced his sister. She was shaking worse than he thought. She could hardly stand up on her own. Jay slowly pulled back, looked at the man and then back at Jak.

"Jak, this is Dreal." Jay told him weakly.

So this was the Blue Eco experiment. Funny, though. Jak would have thought he would have faster movements, snappy reflexes due to the fact that he had the Eco in his system. But he moved very slow, as though weighed down by age, not that he was that old.

Dreal led them into the cramped living room. They sat on tattered chairs, just sitting, not saying a word. Jay rested her head on Jak's shoulder. She was desperately trying to fight back oncoming tears.

"You're Jay's brother?" Dreal broke the depressing silence.

"Yeah." was the reply.

Jay sniffled and Jak automatically hugged her protectively. He then realised that Jay was asleep.

"She's had a rough time." commented Dreal. "I guess I should tell you what I told Jay."

Dreal know had Jak's full attention.

"What about?"

"About the Eco Experiments. About Loren in particular…"

* * *

"The Green Eco Experiment is dead!?!" Torn yelled.

"You shouldn't be surprised." countered Jay. "Loren was one of the earliest experiments. He would be in his sixties by now and he wasn't in the best of health to start with!"

Torn massaged his temple.

"Are you absolutely sure?"

"Dreal witnessed it, as well as Tyr." explained Jay.

"Did you 'look'?"

"Yeah, I went out and dug up the body myself!" sarcasm pulsating through Jay's pores.

Torn looked as if he were about to throw something at a wall. Whatever he was planing needed all the Eco experiments. Now it was all falling apart. The Yellow Eco experiment died years ago and now the Green Eco experiment was also dead.

"Look, you. It's not Loren's fault he was torn limb from limb by psychotic Metalheads!" Jay said, seeing the look on Torn's face.

"This is a disaster!"

It was Jay's turn to massage her temples.

"I don't see why you are making such a big deal about this. Why don't you just get one of the others?" Jay said, mater-of-factly.

Everyone in the room looked at her, confused. Others? What others? Torn's eyes widened in realisation.

"Brilliant!" he went over and placed his hands on Jay's shoulders.

Jay backed off in surprise.

"So, where are they? Try and get the one closest to us."

"Say what!?"

"Look for them, woman!"

"I can't. If I could I would have found one by now!" Jay explained.

"What? Can't your witchcraft work after lunch?" Keira snarled nastily.

"Ok, you are really starting to annoy me!"

"Then zap me, if I'm so annoying!' Keira challenged.

"Keira!"

Jak was just as shocked as everyone in the room. Keira was acting very strangely. She usually wasn't this critical. Jay wasn't too happy. Dreal seamed to be the first to react, restraining Jay before she could get at Keira's throat.

"I could do so much more than zap you! I could slowly burn your limbs off one at a time! I could burn you from the inside out! I could make you suffocate…!'

"Calm your self, FlameThrower!" Dreal yelled over her.

Jay stopped struggling, but kept her eyes on Keira. Jak dragged Keira to the side. He could not believe she would do something like this.

"Keira, what's wrong with you!?"

"I don't trust her, Jak." she explained her actions.

"She's trying to help us!"

"There is something she's not telling us."

"As long as it doesn't put us in jeopardy it's her business." Jak said wisely.

"Jay, you're burning up." Dreal informed her.

Jay began to regulate her breathing, inhaling and exhaling deeply.

"I know." she said calmly with her eyes closed. "Just go to the happy place. In with the positive, out with negative."

"You good?"

"I'm good."

"You sure?"

"I'm sure."

Jay planed out what she was going to do next in her head. Torn probably still wanted to track down someone with Green Eco in their system. Jay didn't understand why he didn't just use Samos for what ever he wanted to do. But it probably wouldn't hurt to find them, to let them know they're not alone.

"What do you plan to do?"

"Something I've wanted to try for a while."

She walked over and tapped Torn on the shoulder.

"Do you still wanna find the other experiments?" she asked him.

"Yes I do."

"Okies!" Jay clasped her hands together and beckoned Samos. "Samos, do you think you could conjure up some pure Green Eco essence?"

"Yes, it'll take a while through."

"What are you going to do?"

Jay explained that to search for someone using her clairvoyant powers she had to have had some sort of familiarity with that person. Jay was now going to attempt to search for an 'essence'. She would look for anything with even the slightest amount of Green Eco in its system. From there she would narrow it down to life forms and further more to other elves. Jay preferred to work with specific objects. Green Eco was a specific object, but there was no telling how many organisms contained it. It might not even work, but Jay considered herself a bit of a scientist.

"Here it is." Samos declared. A green clump of light floated before him.

_It looks just like Samos's Light-Puff._ Thought Jay. "Thank you."

Jay concentrated on the essence. Then she began her search. And it didn't take as long as she estimated. In fact, it only took a second, if not less.

"What is it?" asked Jak, seeing her confused look.

"It's strange. A life form with high concentrations of Green Eco and it feels like it's coming from…"

Jay looked out the window, everyone else followed her gaze.

"… Just out side."

Staring in through the window was a blurry figure. All that was certain was that he was male. He realised he had been spotted and began to run.

"Get him!" yelled Torn.

There was a rush to get out the door. Jay took to the roofs. The close-together architecture and lack of traffic, plus the fact that Jay was highly acrobatic, made it easy for her to get around.

Jak took out his Jet Board. His was highly skilled in manuvering the thing, weaving in and out of unsuspecting citizens.

Torn and Ashelin 'borrowed' some hovercars. The one seater ones.

Every one else ran as fast as they could, Dreal far ahead of the others, but Jay had a feeling he was not even at his top speed.

The man, who ever he was, glanced back as his pursuers. His eyes locked on Jay's. She got the feeling that she had seen him somewhere before. She saw him turn right. The other would not have seen it as their view was obscured by another turn. They would have to ask her which way he went.

Jay jumped off the roof and landed gracefully on the ground.

"Which way did he go?" asked Torn.

"Left." Jay said without hesitation.

So, the entire group went to the left at the junction. It didn't take them long to admit they had lost the person they were chasing. Torn was not too happy.

"Yeah, well. I have to get back to head quarters. The captain wants us to start the blueprints on our top secret project to blow up the stadium." said Jay.

Torn did a double-take. "What!?"

"She means she has to get to the Big Top because the producer wants to start on the basic flow of the next big production that's supposed to be even better that the one we saw." said Jak.

"Why can't you be normal, like everybody else?" Torn asked her.

"Where's the fun in that?" Jay smiled.

Jay walked away. Glancing back, she locked eyes with Keira. Keira glared at her. Jay decided to get even. She would scare the living daylights out of that cow, or at least startle her. Jay tilted her head and smirked at her. She was rewarded by the visible shock on Keira's face.

* * *

**  
What ever did Keira see that made her go all… like she did? Who was that guy? What was the name of that song? Well, I'm not gonna tell you coz other wise it would ruin the suspense and I just plain don't feel like it. Suffer in your undergarment, you… Homo Sapiens!**

**Luck and Love,**

**Anita**


	11. Demon Son

**Fire's Child  
****Chapter 11 – Demon Son**

* * *

The Forest of Haven was truly a haven. At least to Ezra it was. Here he felt safe, he felt protected. Nothing could hurt him now that he was in the forest, surrounded by the trees.

Ezra panted heavily and looked around the large tree he was leaning on. No one chased him anymore. They had given up long before he even reached the forest.

That red head had something to do with it. She was the only one who kept up with him. She clearly saw him go right, yet she told the others to go left. Although Ezra was grateful, he wasn't sure of her reasons or motive. Perhaps she was just being kind. Perhaps she was planing something else, like a surprise attack or assassination.

_Well that won't work now,_ he though. Not now that he was surrounded my trees.

Ezra sat and leaned his head against the tree.

_How did it all come to this_? There wasn't much to him. He was just a plain boy, with his mat of brown hair and green eyes, nothing special.

But he was special. As special as anyone could get. From his birth his veins were filled with Green Eco. It was his parents' gift to him.

His father was Loren. He was the primary experiment subject for various Green Eco injections. Previously he was a loyal follower of Baron Praxis. But that was until the Demon Project.

Loren was deeply opposed to the Baron proposal, and voiced it openly.

"The Demon Project is an abomination!"

Ezra could not remember his father, but many old time companions of Loren had mentioned to him the extent of Loren's hate for the Demon Project.

The Baron began to see a threat in Loren. So, Loren became part of what he hated. He became the Green Eco Experiment, the earliest of the experiments.

Ezra knew plenty of the Demon Project. He had asked around, looked at archives, plus his mother had quite a lot to say.

Zaya was also part of the Green Eco Experiment as and Exposure subject. It's where she met and fell in love with Loren. She told Ezra all of what she knew.

As an Exposure subject, she what exposed to vast amounts of Green Eco with several other people. She, along with many others, acquired a telepathic link to the earth and plants, feeling what they felt. Others got remarkable healing abilities.

Zaya would dazzle Ezra about what Loren could do. Because Loren was injected with Green Eco, not exposed to it, his powers were much more potent. Not only did he have a telepathic link and healing abilities, but he was directly connected to the plants. They listened to him and did what he asked. At his urging, entire forests would spring up from the most barren lands.

Ezra always though she was exaggerating out of love for her husband, but as the years passed he began to believe that the stories were true.

These even lead to how Ezra came to be. With Loren and Zaya so tied to Green Eco, it made sense that their child was also Eco possessed. Ezra's powers far surpassed those of his parents. He used a network of roots to build up a mental picture of his surrounding for miles on end. He didn't even need the roots.

He owed his ability to control his power to his parents. Loren would spend hours on end with Ezra, close to a plant and teaching the trade. But this was long ago. Loren had died when Ezra was but 4 years old. Zaya did not have Loren's kind of power, but she tried to help her son as best she could. She would not let him forget his roots, so to speak.

Zaya, too, died. Not two years ago.

So Ezra was left on his own. He decided to learn not only more about Green Eco, but about all the other Experiments.

When Loren had died, Experiments were already under way in the field of Blue Eco. By the time Ezra was eight the Blue Eco Warrior was in its final stages of the experiment. Then came the Red Eco Warrior at his thirteenth birthday.

Two years later he had the pleasure of actually meeting the next victim of the Baron. Ezra was shocked to see who he had chosen. The chosen subject for the Yellow Eco Experiment was a female. And not just any female, it was a _young_ female. She was at least a year younger than Ezra at the time. She was kicking and screaming, and putting up a good fight. But in the end she was carted away and died two years later.

Ever since the girl was taken in, Ezra had begun to fear for his own safety. With his mother newly dead, he had no one to protect him. So ran and hid. It was all he could do.

Ezra supposed that now, since the Baron was dead, it would be safe for him to return. But apparently it wasn't.

He heard Loren's name mentioned in that house in the Water Slums and got curious. Then the red head noticed him peering through the window. Ezra got scared and ran, and they followed.

They would not have given up so easily. _They are still looking for me,_ he thought. Best to make sure.

And so Ezra began to view the world through the trees…

* * *

Jay made her way through the farming area, following the trail of the strange person from the Water Slums. She took her time, making no hurry, for she could distinctly make out his aural trail. It was strong, either telling her that he had been here recently or that he had a rather strong aura. Jay could decide which it was.

She remembered telling Torn, and Jak, and everyone else that she was making her way back to the big top. Well, it wasn't a complete lie. She _was_ going to go there, right after she found this guy and confronted him.

Torn's intentions were still a blur to her. He said he wanted the Eco Demons to help exterminate the remaining Metal Heads. But why make them join the Krimson Guard? It didn't make sense.

Well, it helped to only focus on one problem at a time, and right now her problem was finding this Eco possessed being and getting his story out. Then perhaps she would find out what Torn was up to.

Jay waited while the large metal doors opened, then closed, revealing the Haven Forest. Her spirits fell.

Now that she was in the forest all manners of Green Eco appeared, obscuring the one she was tracking.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding." Jay massaged her temple. She could not discern one bit of Eco from the other.

_Well, he's got to be here somewhere…_

So she entered the forest and began searching, a lot more annoyed than when she came.

* * *

Some one had entered the forest. Ezra's heart began to beat quicker. Was it one of them? Ezra could not tell, which made him worry even more.

He focused his attention solely on that figure. If it got any closer to his hiding place he might be able to make out a face or something.

And so he waited, all his will concentrating on this person who intruded into his forest. They walked slowly and seemed to zigzag, as if searching for something. _Or someone._

Ezra was so focused that the snap of a twig made his whirl around. He failed to notice anything else apart from the intruding figure, who was miles away.

But nothing was there, not a soul. Ezra held his breath, willing his heart to stop pound so fast within his chest. He looked around. Another snap came. Ezra fixed his eyes on where he though he heard the sound came from.

Nothing happened for a moment. Then a small area of earth sunk, as if pressure was placed upon it. Then came the smell. A horrible, putrid smell. Ezra was so stunned with fear that he could not even raise is hands to cover his nose.

Then he saw it. A familiar distortion in the landscape. Trouble was seconds away.

The Metalhead slowly revealed itself. It was an awful looking thing, like all Metalheads are. It's bright yellow skull gem glowing against all the green.

Ezra looked on at the creature as it raised its weapon and pointed it directly at him. The spear-shooter charged up and was ready to fire.

At that point Ezra's whole mood changed. He was no longer frightened, he was annoyed, angry. He was tired of running and he would run no longer. And it starts here.

He slammed an open palm on the ground and sent his power surging.

* * *

Jay impulsively raised her hands and grasped her head and eyes. A wave of Green Eco had just been set loose, and through her aural vision it was like being hit by an intense bright light. And she knew exactly where it came from.

The spear-shooter was sent flying out of the Metalhead's hands or paws or whatever it was those creatures possessed by a root from underground. The Metalhead seemed disoriented, thus had no chance to defend itself against what was coming up next.

This time, Ezra sent a clutter of vines to wrap themselves around the Metalhead, to prevent it from moving. Next he will a tree to grow, and then another and another, in a circle around the Metalhead. Then the trees began to wind themselves into a rope-like form, crushing the life out of the creature.

Satisfied with himself, Ezra stood and brushed the dirt off his palm. But the victory was to be short lived. For now, he was surrounded by Metalheads, all looking menacing and all pointing their weapons right at him.

Ezra swore under his breath. There were at least a dozen of them, and those were just the ones that he could see. He saw no way of getting out of this alive. He squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for the inevitable.

Instead of the inevitable, which was death, and explosion came. Ezra opened his eyes. One of the Metalheads' weapons had exploded in its face, thus blowing up the Metalhead. Another explosion came and another Metalhead died. The weapons were blowing up one after the other. Screams of confusion rose up and metal heads soon began dropping their weapons, making the connection that their weapons were malfunctioning and killing them.

One Metalhead began to charge, screaming with fury. Ezra took a step back, eyes locked on the Metalhead. He was hoping for another miracle.

The Metalhead stoped. Just stoped in what seemed like midair. If a Metalhead could show a look of surprise then this one was doing just that.

Ezra stood and waited for what seemed like an eternity. The Metalhead was suddenly thrown back with such a force that it lifted off the ground and did not land until at lest a minute after. Another shocking factor was that it was on fire.

Ezra took another couple of steps back, until someone grabbed his arm.

"Run." Came the voice of a woman.

But he did not run. He wanted to see what this woman was going to do. Surely she could not take on an army of Metalheads alone. He could see no weapon on her, which made her appear even more venerable. Oh, how wrong he was.

A ball of fire grew in her hand, intense heat rising from it. Ezra had an urge to go over a touch it, to see if it was real. Before he could it was thrown at the Metalheads. They burst into flames immediately, several at a time. Another fire ball was ready and waiting. It was thrown and the remaining Metalheads perished.

The woman exhaled. She looked rather pleased with herself. She turned and picked up a discarded bag and slung it over her shoulder.

About the offer her thanks, both Ezra and the woman stoped.

Metalheads began appearing out of every corner and crevice and any other place they could have been hiding.

The woman backed up against Ezra. Ezra's breath caught in his throat. It was a magnificent sight, and horrific at the same time. The entire scene before them was covered in Metalheads.

A scream from one of them and they all began charging towards them. They both began to run in the opposite direction as fast as they could.

To try and bide some time, the woman quickly raised a wall of fire. Thinking they were now safe, she began to slow down. But they were far from safe.

The fire had no effect. The Metalheads kept on coming.

Ezra could see she was in trouble. There was no way she could out run them now. Acting on pure impulse, Ezra once again reached for his power.

The ground before them shook, first softly and then violently. Then it stoped. Ezra held his breath, hoping that what he had just tried had worked.

The woman screamed as the ground between her and the Metalheads opened up. Ezra lunged forward and grabbed her arm, dragging her away from the gaping hole in the earth, which grew and grew. It swallowed up many Metalheads.

Ezra shifted more earth, causing the remaining Metalheads to be thrown in with the others.

Several moments passed before either Ezra or the woman moved. Ezra closed up the hole in the earth and made his was to the woman, who was sitting on the ground nearby, still shocked.

As Ezra neared, she regained some composure and stood. That is when Ezra realised who she was.

She was that red head from before. No one could mistake her, not with that flaming red hair. Ezra forgot all that had just occurred and began to scold.

She began to smile, enraging Ezra even more. Her smoke grey eyes shone with mischief.

"I was hoping to meet in a less dramatic situation." She admitted.

"What made you think we would ever meet?" Ezra retorted.

"I was looking for you." She said. "There are people looking for you, because of what you can do."

Ezra bit his lip. Had they come for him? Were they going to take him away and experiment on him?

"I wanted to warn you. That's all."

Ezra frowned slightly. "Who are you?"

Her smile widened and she extended her hand at him. "My name is Jaria-Kai."

**

* * *

**

Holy crap! Jaria-Kai has risen from the dead and now seeks brains as sustenance! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! On another note…

**YAY! The long awaited Chapter 11! This calls for a bubble party! has a bubble party with SpongeBob and Patrick**

**Thank you, to all those how have been patient with me. I hope I have not let you down.**

**Luck and Love,**

**Anita**


	12. Fire's Demon

**Fire's Child  
****Chapter 12 – Fire's Demon**

* * *

"But I thought that Jaria-Kai died. At least a year ago."

Ezra had followed Jay back to the Lunari. He requested for a job at her insistence and was now a technician. He and Jay were now making a routine check of the overhead lights. Since the only technicians were Jay, and now Ezra, it was very private up in the high scaffolding.

"No. I just wanted everyone to think that. No-one's going to be looking for a dead person." Jay answered. "But I've gone by the alibi that I was banished for so long that sometimes I forget that I faked my own death."

Ezra rubbed his temple.

"Well, what about that overdose rumour?"

"No rumour. They overloaded me. I was out for weeks, and when I finally came to I was in pain for days afterwards."

"But Jaria-Kai was a blond."

"Yeah, and normal people don't have green skin."

Ezra looked at the back of his hand. Streaks of green ran through his skin. It was all over him. Even on his face, but those were just two streaks on either side.

"Eco does strange things to a person. Tyr was a scrawny little thing. Now he's all buff. Dreal, well he's kinda weird. For some reason the Blue Eco has had a reverse effect and now he's all slow. But he can still go fully sick when he wants to. I think the slowness is to counter the extreme speed. Now-one can stand that amount of G-forces for so long, with stoping and starting. And I got red hair and grey eyes."

"And the name?"

Jay looked up from the light she was examining and smiled.

"Is it that hard to believe that I am Jaria-Kai?" She asked.

"Yes." Ezra smiled back.

He had misjudged her by far. She was nice enough to offer him a job, using the excuse that she needed help. He admired her outlook on life, especially after what she had been through. Ezra could not relate late to the horror she might have lived through, but he knew the lengths all the experiments had to go through to protect themselves.

"My name _is_ actually Jaria-Kai, but no-one calls me that. Even before it was always 'Jay', never 'Jaria-Kai'. The only one's how ever called me that were my mother, when she was angry, and the Baron, coz that was the name on my birth certificate. An awful name, too."

Ezra gave a chuckle. Personally, he didn't think Jaria-Kai was a bad name, although it was slightly strange.

"So, how'd you come by technician-ism?" Jay asked, wondering.

"I was a techie back when I was younger, to help out my parents."

Jay blinked. "What were you, like, seven?"

Ezra looked at her shocked expression. He sometimes forgot how young he was. He was barely nineteen, and by his account, Jay was one or two years younger and by far the youngest of the Experiments. Although, technically, Ezra was not an Experiment he sure felt like one sometimes.

Ezra's mood turned sombre. "How old were you?"

Jay was once again taken aback. "I beg your pardon?"

"How old were you?" he repeated, inquiring as to her age when she was taken away for the Experiment.

"Old enough, apparently." Jay said darkly, her moods also changing.

"Aren't you even a bit angry?"

Jay had gone back to the job at hand, focusing all her attention onto the light.

Ezra was surprised. If it had been him, he would be furious. To him, being the way he was, he already felt as if a part of him had been taken away. A childhood of some sort that he would never again have was taken away from him at the moment of his conception, all because of one man stupid ambitions. But at least he had people who were like him, who could tell him how to normalize his life, in the form of his parents, also freaks of nature. Jay, however, had no-one. She was alone in the world. Many people had told him what a failure the Yellow Eco Project was. All Experiments had perished some time after the Exposure. It was a miracle someone like Jay even survived.

Ezra grabbed her face and made her look at him.

"You were fourteen!" he whispered.

He heard Jay's breath intake sharply.

"How did you know?"

"There were stories about you." He told her. "'A young girl of fourteen was reported missing, two months after the death of her mother,' is what they told me. Right about the time the Flame Warrior Project was about to start. It doesn't take a genius, Jay, to put the pieces together."

Jay looked down and bit the inside of her cheek. Then she shifted her position on the scaffolding to get more comfortable.

"They took me away." She barely whispered.

Ezra leaned in closer, willing her to tell her own tragic story, just as he had revealed his own story.

And tell him she did…

* * *

"I was fourteen. My mother had been dead less than two months. I was grieving, I had a brother who was so pathetically dependent on me that he had practically grown attached to my hip and I lived in the poorest excuse of a house in some rat's hole in the slums.

"I was slowly falling apart. All I ever had was my mother. Sure, we didn't have the best life, but she loved me, and my brother. She put her life on the line for me, trying to give me the best possible chance at life. I never met my father. I was broken when this bastard drunk bashed her head in. They didn't even give her a descent funeral!

"It was hard to go on without her. I did a horrible job. I lost the house, there was no income. I could barely look after Jak. He kept getting away from me.

"I remember we were at the bazaar once. I was hoping I could get a job ripping off wealthy customers with crap merchandise. Anything to get me somewhere.

"The Krimson Guards came out of nowhere. I didn't do anything, so I saw no reason to run away. They asked for me, they were looking for me. I got scared then. It was not just one guy, it was an army. It was like they expected me to do something dangerous. But I was weak and malnourished. I had a child to protect. I couldn't be expected to go fully sick and fight my way to freedom.

"I did try to run. I didn't get very far. I was more focused on getting Jak out of there.

"So they took me to the prison. I screamed for help, but no one came. All they did was watch as they dragged me away. I would spend the next two years or so of my life in the prison. It was a horrible place. It was cold, dark. There was no life in this place. People looked at me from their cells with pity. I still had no idea what was going on. I kept hoping that it was all some mistake, or maybe even a cruel joke. But it wasn't.

"They kept me in a cell which vented in Yellow Eco. I though there was something wrong with the heating system. It was boiling in the cell. More than once I passed out from the heat. They kept me there for two weeks before they began the injections.

"I don't really remember many of the injections, but I remember my first. It was so painful. It felt as though my blood was burning. It was such an intense heat, all concentrated, making it even hotter. I honestly thought I was going to die then. Then it stoped. It was a moment of pure relief for me. That was until they started up again.

"I screamed for them to stop, but they didn't. They kept going. They kept going for two years. Two years of painful torture.

"They time that I wasn't with the machine they kept in my cell. No longer did they vent in Yellow Eco. It was cold. There was nothing to keep me warm. I conversed with some fellow prisoners. I desperately tried to keep my sanity. That is where I met Tyr. We would talk of our lives. He had a young family then. I would in turn tell him about my family, of strange little things that Jak would do, like that time he couldn't use the spoon so he just buried his face in the porridge and ate with his face in the bowl.

"After a while we began to talk of our experiences. Where as I was burning up inside, Tyr felt as though all his muscles shifted and contorted with every zap. We would comfort each other after the injections. He was my rock.

"At the end of the first year Tyr left. They said that they had finished with him and were taking him to another stage. Before he left he told me, 'Stay strong, Jay. They may have altered you to their specifications, but your mind is your own. Use what you know and get out.' I was glad to here that not long after, the Red Eco Experiment had escaped. It gave me hope.

"Not long after they had a new addition to the Experiments. They started on the Dark Warrior Project. I saw them carry in the unconscious body to his cell.

"The screams could be heard all throughout the prison complex. I could hardly believe that anything could be more painful than what I was going through. Every other day the scream would echo through the prison. After a while they seemed to die down. I found myself wondering if my screams were as loud.

"My overload started out just as a normal day, in whatever way normal applies in this case. I had been thinking about what Tyr had said to me a year ago. 'Use what you know.' All I knew was that they were injection me with Yellow Eco. My appearance had changed. I kept getting fevers.

"I knew Yellow Eco was the Eco of fire and heat. I thought maybe I could use that to my advantage. I didn't know how. I was dreading the Injection, it was just wishful thinking.

"All went along as it normally does. I was taken from my cell to the Experimental ward, strapped in and prepared for the injection. I over heard the Baron tell my assigned Guard that that they would up the dosage. Erol, my Guard, seemed a bit sceptical, but went ahead with it anyway.

"Erol, despite being on _their_ side, was rather kind to me. I enjoyed his company. He spoke little, never abused me and sometimes brought me extra food.

"It was the most pain I had ever endured. Every fibre in my body burned. I screamed and screamed, begging them to stop. But unlike any of the other times, I did not black out. I did not retreat into myself.

"I kept my mind. I knew exactly what was going on. I let the Eco in my body take form, my anger shaping it, my fear intensifying it, and my will power controlling it.

"The machine exploded. The sudden malfunction caused even more Eco to be forced into me. With such a gross overdose my body couldn't take it. The Eco needed somewhere to go and my body was too small.

"I don't know what happened, really, but I think that it ripped through my skin and caused havoc, uncontrolled intense heat. That is why my left arm is so disgusting, that is where it escaped from.

"I remember me screaming an awful scream. It was alien. Fire burst from my hands, melting machinery. Weapons exploded in the hands of the Guards. There was so much chaos; I saw my chance to get out. I burned a female Guard until she was nothing be a pile of ashes. There was my alibi. They would think that the Eco had burned me to nothing.

"I ran to the outskirt of the city where I collapsed. Like I said before, I was out for weeks. When I finally came to arm ached, my head was sore and I had a terrible fever. My arm took ages to heal. I left before it was completely healed, never thanking those who took care of me.

"I wandered around, and eventually wound up at the Lunari.

"But I think the biggest blow was when I found that Jak, my baby brother, was part of some horrible conspiracy-like prophecy. He had travel through time and is now the Dark Warrior.

"I have no life. It is just a painful existence."

* * *

Jay stoped. She raised her hand to her mouth and sobbed lightly. Tears fell freely. She looked so torn up inside; Ezra didn't know what to do.

Eventually, he moved closer and embraced her.

"I have lost everything." She whispered between sobs.

Ezra stroked her hair. "Your brother is alive. That's got to count for something."

Jay shook her hear. "My brother is corrupted."

"We are all corrupted." He said to her. "We can only hope we are not stupid and use them for what they were intended."

"I think we will have to."

**

* * *

**

**Such drama. Such desperation. Such… something else. **

**I think it's going rather well, don't you? I think so, (damn cliff-hanger type-thing) **

**I wonder what it to happen in the next chapter. I wonder how many chapters there are going to be. I wonder if I will ever finish this story. **

**I hope this didn't take too long, and I hope youse enjoyed it. **

**Luck and Love, **

**Anita**


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